"Bill Evans' recordings almost always received good to excellent sound, and the Analogue Productions reissues are no exception. While I don't own the original releases, the 45 rpm reissues clearly better, even after VTA adjustments, the later OJC reissues or the earlier 33 1/3 rpm Analogue Productions releases. The 45 rpm reissues are more musical and transparent; instruments have greater three-dimensionality and frequency extremes, especially lower octaves, exhibit greater resolution and impact. Get them before they're sold out." – Myles Astor, Positive Feedback Online, Issue 34, http://positive-feedback.com/Issue34/awards.htm

This is the last album Bill Evans made for his first label. That fact alone would give this at least historical significance; and there is surely also some importance to its being one of only two occasions on which the pianist was recorded for Riverside during "live" performance (the other, of course, resulted in the classic pair of Village Vanguard albums). But above all, these two nights at Shelly Manne's club in Hollywood marked the only recording by the excellent but short-term third trio; after the death of Scott LaFaro, bassist Chuck Israels joined Bill and Paul Motian; then in 1963 Los Angeles studio-stalwart drummer Larry Bunker made this brief but noteworthy contribution to the Evans legend.

1. Isn't It Romantic

2. The Boy Next Door

3. Wonder Why

4. Swedish Pastry

5. Our Love Is Here To Stay

6. 'Round Midnight

7. Stella By Starlight

8. Blues In "F"

Customer Reviews(5.00 Stars) 2 person(s) rated this product.

THE SLEEPER

posted on 06/01/20075 Stars

Sound, music, and performance . . . this one has it all. The free variation on the famous "tag" at the end of the album alone is worth the price of admission.